Automotive News Europe reports Ernst Lieb, the former Mercedes-Benz USA CEO, has lost a wrongful dismissal suit against his former employer. As you may recall, parent company Daimlerfired Lieb claiming the 57-year-old executive used company funds to upgrade his personal home, though he has denied the claim all along, going so far as to sue his former employer. All told, Daimler said Lieb spent more than $100,000 to upgrade his company home in Mahwah, New Jersey. The money was allegedly used to purchase a home theater, a gym, a washer and dryer and a barbecue.

On Thursday, November 8, a court in Stuttgart dismissed the suit, saying the claims against Lieb were “so serious that any further employment [at Daimler] would be unacceptable.” The former executive has said he will appeal the ruling, and his attorney, Stefan Naegele, has said the lawsuit is more about restoring Lieb’s reputation than about receiving any monetary retribution.